Former Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian (R) leaves for the Taipei district court from the Tucheng Dentention Centre in Taipei County January 19, 2009. Chen appeared in court on Monday for a pretrial hearing on corruption, forgery and money laundering charges. [Agencies]

He was first indicted by prosecutors on December 12 for money laundering and bribery while in office.

The district court decided to release him without bail on December 13 but banned him from leaving the island. Prosecutors appealed his release on December 16, and Taiwan's High Court overruled the decision of the district court. However, it handed the case back to that lower court on December 17.

The next day, the district court upheld its original verdict. The prosecution appealed again and the High Court overruled the lower court decision for a second time on December 28.

Chen was returned to prison on corruption charges following a verdict by the district court on December 30. The verdict allowed him to meet his lawyer and family.

Chen then appealed his detention, but the High Court rejected his appeal on January 7 and ruled that he must remain in jail.